Leaving the Centre Behind
by kat69d
Summary: Katie meets someone from her past and runs to Jarod for safety and protection...together they will work against the Centre as it tries to 'recruit' someone new for the Pretender program...sequel to "Helping the Pretender"...
1. Chapter 1

**Note: Don't own anything you recognize except for my character...Enjoy!**

* * *

The leggy woman who haunted his dreams was striding his way. Broots, a super techno-genius, stood his ground in the little rotunda with his co-worker and friend Sydney standing beside him. When they had arrived back at the Centre after Miss Parker's ordeal at the bank, she had been whisked away by her father. Broots and Sydney, the man who practically raised Jarod, could only wait for her to become free so they could see how she was and to hear what happened.

"Broots," she called, pulling out her cigarettes.

"Yes, Miss Parker? How are you after what happened?"

"Oh, fantastic since I don't have better things to do than be locked up with Wonder Boy and the man who holds all the answers to my mother's death. Any word on Fenigor, Syd?"

The psychiatrist folded his arms in front of himself and shook his head.

"They took him down to the Infirmary but no one is allowed in except Raines and your father."

"Perfect. I'll need to find a way down to see him. He said something at the bank about a project called Prodigy. Have you heard about it?" she asked, tapping a cigarette on her case once before lighting it.

"I'll search the mainframe for any mention of the project," Broots offered.

"There's something I need you to do first. I need the employment records for Kate Simpson, Katherine Jamieson, and Kate Reid."

"I knew Kate. She died a few months ago. Her apartment was broken into and there was blood everywhere. She had said something about an abusive boyfriend one time so it's believed she was murdered."

"Jarod and I weren't the only ones in the bank who knew about Fenigor. Sydney, this anomaly that Jarod has which makes him a Pretender, how rare is it?"

"How do you know about the anomaly?"

"In my office," Miss Parker ordered, ushering in the two men.

The door whooshed closed behind them and she stalked to her desk where she leaned against the edge. After another long drag, she snubbed out the cigarette and looked at the two men. Broots, with his receding hair line, could almost be considered a minion but Sydney was an equal, maybe more friend than co-worker at times. Like when he comforted her after her mother was killed and through everything that has been turning up recently.

"There was a pregnant girl in the bank who knew about Fenigor and the Centre. She knew who we were and Jarod told me she was the one who tipped him off about Fenigor and the bank. She couldn't have been more than 25, her hair black with pink streaks and wore all black. Katie, this girl, mentioned the anomaly and that she had it."

"Katie? Wait, you think she was those employees."

"I know she was since she was the one who told us. Syd, she said that she's a Pretender and was playing a game with the Centre. Now how rare is this anomaly?"

"Our research shows that the anomaly only appears in those with AB- blood. Since less than 1% of the American population have that blood type, that's rare in itself. We don't have specific numbers but I would guess at maybe 3% of those."

"So 0.03% of the population. Until Jarod's mother told her, the girl thought she was a genius. Since then, she's held 3 jobs within the Centre with no one catching on and has broken into the archives."

"Impossible. Any intrusion into the archives without clearance is tracked back to the source and the person is dealt with. Kate didn't have the clearance," Broots explained.

"Are you 100% sure about that, Broots?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"You say that Jarod's mother was the one who told her?"

"She was in university working on something like her millionth Master's. I want those employment records on my desk in an hour."

Sydney and Broots left Miss Parker in her office thinking about everything. She should have mentioned Katie to her father but needed more information on the girl before doing so. Maybe the way to get Jarod back to the Centre was to collect the girl and use her as leverage.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: Don't own anything you recognize except for my character...Enjoy!**

* * *

Driving away from the bank was quite easy since I managed to slip away unseen. When I tried Margaret's cell phone, the number had been disconnected. I wanted to throw my phone at the wall but restrained myself. I drove out of Dover making sure that I stayed near the speed limit. After an hour, I pulled over to take off the pregnant belly.

"And voila! I have my pre-baby body back."

I also quickly changed clothes and pulled out a different driver's license. Since I had parked around the corner and there were no cameras nearby, the Centre had no way of knowing what I was driving. I stared at the license to get into character.

"I am Molly Lyons from Connecticut. Rather than heading to university, I am doing a road trip across the country."

I pulled out a little black address book and opened it to the 'L' tab. With my pen I made a small mark near my new name and closed the book. To anyone else, it would appear to be a regular address book but there were over 2dozen aliases for myself. Throughout the US, I had stashed the necessary identification for those aliases. Molly was one that I used often but would have to retire soon. When that happened, I would need to hack into the government's database and activate the new alias's file. I smiled at the memory of my short stint as a FBI technical analyst where I had uploaded files for all of my different names.

The object that I slipped into Jarod's pocket was a USB stick of varied information that I had found at the Centre. I also had saved a photo of Margaret with Emily and a word document with information that the woman gave me about her son. She had only 4 short years with Jarod before the Centre stole him but she fondly told me about those years in hope that I would get it to her son. She wanted Jarod to know who he was before the Centre corrupted him.

_Margaret and I sat around a table in a near empty diner. She had her hands wrapped around a warm cup of coffee and I was munching on fries. It had only been a week or so since I met the woman but something about her put me at ease. Her red hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and she wore no makeup._

_ "Jarod said his first word when he was 9months old and then it seemed like he was speaking full sentences a month later. We knew he was gifted even before that because he seemed to know what we were saying to him and he would look right at us when we spoke. I remember when a neighbour was playing peek-a-boo and Jarod would tilt his head in a way that said 'I'm not stupid. I know you're behind your hands.' She had giggled and then asked Jarod where his mummy was. The boy actually pointed at me."_

_ "How old was he?" I asked._

_ "Just over 6months. It's been so long since I've seen my son that I doubt he would recognize me now. He wouldn't be able to point me out in a crowd."_

_ "You will see Jarod again. I'll make sure of it. Right now, you should head back to Emily and your husband. I'll call when I've finished sequencing my DNA."_

_ "I know you're like my son. Call it mother's intuition."_

_ "Whatever you say, Margaret."_

She had been right and between her and Major Charles, we tested out my abilities. The simulations weren't like anything that Jarod would have gone through but were just as telling. We spent 3 or 4months trying different events before they couldn't stay any longer and needed to move. I had made them promise to call me at least twice a year or leave a coded message in the Classified section of the Boston Globe. Even 4years later, I still check the newspaper daily. I made a mental note to call in the morning and place an ad for them to see.

The sun was setting and I had been driving on this highway for nearly six hours. My stomach had begun eating itself out of hunger. I was trying to get to Boston before dark but if I didn't stop to eat soon, I was bound to pass out.

"My own fault for eating only a Chewy bar for breakfast," I mumbled as I watched the road signs for my exit.

Worcester, Massachusetts was the closest city so I stopped in there for a quick bite to eat and to use the washroom. The restaurant had free Wi-Fi so I started up my laptop and checked for any new emails. There was one from a friend that put a smile on my face before I even opened it.

_Katie gone. Safe. Miss Parker mad._

I nodded my head in response as my fingers flew over the keyboard as I typed back my reply.

_Thank you. You stay safe, my Angelo. Say hi to Jarod for me._

The empathic man was the only one who had seen passed my disguises and knew that I was all 3 women. I hadn't worried that Angelo would slip up and tell my secret while I was working there. Angelo knew more about what was going on at the Centre than even the Director or Mr. Parker. If he was so inclined, he could find my backdoor into the mainframe but I doubt he would do that to me. We had gotten really close over the 2years and I was sad to leave him behind.

"Would you like anything, dear?" the waitress asked as I finished shutting off my laptop.

"Maybe a drink for the drive please," I asked as I pointed at the soda cooler behind the counter.

I was standing at the register waiting to pay when the bell over the door jingled. Rather than turn around to look, I used the glass of the large picture beside the register to check the newcomer. Even though I wasn't the one being hunted, I've always scouted out an escape route since I found out what I am. I gripped the counter and turned my body slightly away from the doorway.

A man stood in the doorway checking out the restaurant. His hair was perfectly styled, his face ruggedly handsome, and the suit cut perfectly for his tall body. Any breathing woman would have checked him out and only see one imperfection. He was wearing a single glove on his right hand.

"Miss, are you alright? You've suddenly gone all pale," the waitress asked as she came back with my drink.

"Just tired," I whispered.

Mr. Lyle stepped further into the restaurant and the waitress said she'd be with him shortly. I handed over my cash and tried to leave without Lyle seeing me. The stupid waitress wouldn't let me leave without my change.

"It's your tip."

"But it's more than what your dinner cost."

The little hairs on the back of my neck were standing straight up and I could feel the heat of his body right behind me. I was kicking myself for pulling my hair up into a clip because it left my neck bare. It also allowed Lyle to recognize the small tattoo that I had there.

"Shannon."

I exhaled slowly while I turned around and stared up into Lyle's eyes. There wasn't much of a height difference between the two of us but I still had to glance up. I plastered a fake smile on my face and reminded myself not to freak out.

"Lyle. Don't you look sharp in that suit."

"And you look completely different."

"What can I say? Life in Shanghai has been agreeing with me. I only came back because my father passed away."

"Are you heading back soon because if you're not, I will be flying there next week myself for work. You can accompany me on my jet," he offered with a smile.

_ I'd rather die than go anywhere with you after what happened,_ I spat at him in my mind.

"Sorry, Lyle. I'm heading back early tomorrow morning. Actually I'm on my way to the airport because of that stupid rule of needing to be there hours before departure."

"See, if you came with me you wouldn't need to be early. We could practically roll out of bed before taking off," he grinned.

"I doubt that. You always needed to take a shower after waking up. We would have rolled out of bed, straight into the shower."

"Yes, the shower," he leered.

"Oh, you. It was nice seeing you, Lyle, but I must go now to make it to Boston."

I stepped around him but he caught my arm. He pulled me in tight against his body and pressed his lips to mine. He skillfully kissed me, his tongue lightly running over my lips. Being that close to him, I could feel him harden against my hip. I pulled my head back and gave him a small smile.

"I really have got to go, Lyle."

He released my arm slowly and I was really to bolt. I stepped back and waved at him as I left the restaurant. I hurried to my car and threw it into drive. Making sure he wasn't tailing me, I headed further into Worcester rather than getting back onto the highway. I drove aimlessly trying to find an alley that wasn't on a high traffic street. I pulled in and turned off the engine.

"Fuck."

I pulled out my phone and dialled a familiar number.

"Hello?"

"It's Katie. I…I.."

"What's wrong, Katie? You're upset. What happened?" Jarod asked on the other end.

"I can't be alone right now. Where are you?"

"I'm in Pittsburgh. What happened?"

"Lyle," I sobbed. "I'll call you when I get to Pittsburgh. I think I can hire a plane at the Worcester airport."

"Be careful, Katie."

I found the number to one of the charter companies at the airport and booked a flight for that evening. I charged the flight to Molly's credit card and went about collecting my stuff. I strapped the fake belly back on, tucked my hair under a hat, and unloaded the few bags I had with me. Making sure there wasn't anything left in the car, I dug around in my bag until I found the pack of cigarettes that Kate Reid smoked. I pulled out the lighter as I unscrewed the cap to the gas tank.

Shoving a sock down into the tank, I made sure that it was in far enough to cause an explosion. I lit the end of the sock and gathered my bags. I ran away as fast as the fake belly would allow. When I was about half a block away I began to worry that it had gone out but not a few seconds later, a plume of flames and a loud bang filled the neighbourhood. I waited until I was further down the block before calling a cab to take me to the airport.

The pilot was a short man in his mid-forties. He introduced himself as Dave and helped me with my bags. When he saw how pregnant I was, he voiced a concern but I told him it would be fine, that my doctor OK'd me to fly for another couple of weeks.

"Why are you in a hurry to get to Pittsburgh?" he asked as he did the checklist for take off.

I wished that I could just fly myself but it would have been harder to find a plane that I could 'borrow' before calling in a tip on where the stolen plane was. I fastened my seatbelt and slightly relaxed. Once we were in the air then I could relax fully.

"My boyfriend is on leave, visiting his family. He wasn't supposed to be back until next week but then he called an hour ago to surprise me."

Dave smiled and asked for clearance to take off. The flight to Pittsburgh would be around 2 ½ hours so I pulled out a book and read. I didn't care about the sights so I never looked out the window even when Dave pointed something out. I just wanted to be in Pittsburgh with Jarod.

The plane touched down and taxied to the area for charter flights. Dave unloaded my bags and helped me down the small steps. I was reaching for my phone to call Jarod when he stepped out of the office.

"Hey."

"Sweetie, you made it," I gushed, hurrying over.

I gave him a quick kiss and a hug, his arms circling around me holding me close to him. I smiled up at him and motioned to my bags.

"Thank you, Dave, for the smooth flight."

"Not a problem, Miss Lyons. Enjoy your time together."

Jarod took my bags from the pilot and steered me back inside. We had to walk a bit through the airport to get to the parking area. I clasped Jarod's free hand in mine and to the random stranger, we seemed like a happy couple and not two fugitives on the run. He led me to his car and stowed my bags in the trunk. I sagged in relief when I was tucked away inside.

"Care to tell me now what you meant by Lyle?" Jarod asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"He knows me as Shannon and we had dated briefly. I didn't know he worked for the Centre until a couple of months ago. His presence there was the reason I killed off Kate Reid. I wasn't chancing that he'd see past my disguise."

"When you say dated?"

"Yeah for several months. He'd travel for work so it wasn't like he was always there but towards the end, it seemed like he was changing. Then it happened," my voice lowering on the last sentence.

"Katie, what happened?"

"There were things that Lyle wanted to try out sexually but I wasn't interested. He drugged me when we were out eating and took me home. I've always burned through medication faster than normal and I became coherent in the middle of it. I pretended I was still under the influence of the drugs but couldn't wait until it was over. He twisted a nice tale about how I got the various injuries though.

"Since I couldn't let him think anything was wrong, I stayed with him for another month before my job transferred me to China. Then I see him walking around the Centre with Raines. That day I started to drop hints about an abusive boyfriend and 'died' several days later."

"Did your Shannon character look anything like you now?" Jarod asked, turning the corner of a street lined with hotels.

"I had my back to him when he first spotted me. He recognized the tattoo I have on my neck. Before he changed, he would trace it with his fingers while we cuddled in bed together. He was so nice before it went all fucking crazy."

"But you knew something was off if you didn't give him your real name."

"He seemed too smooth and I thought it would be a quick fling but he kept calling. It seemed nice, normal even, at the beginning," I said, holding back the sobs.

Jarod pulled into a hotel and rented us a room. Once we were inside the room, I collapsed to my knees, wrapping my arms around myself and cried. Jarod got down on his knees and took me into his arms. He smoothed back my hair and whispered kind words into my ear.

"You should get changed and curl up in bed. Rest for the night and we'll talk in the morning."

"Jarod, would you mind holding me until I fall asleep? It's been years since it happened but seeing Lyle makes it feel like yesterday."

"Sure, Katie."

Jarod helped me up and I grabbed my bag. Heading into the bathroom, I made quick work on removing the fake belly and getting ready for bed. I unclipped the pink sections of hair and stuffed them into my bag. Remembering to remove the colored contacts was the last thing I did before heading back to the bedroom. Jarod had already changed into a pair of pajama pants and a wife beater. The covers were pulled back and I slipped into bed.

"Thanks, Jarod, for doing this," I said softly as he got in the other side of the bed.

"Don't worry. I understand all about nightmares."

Jared pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. I laid my head on his chest and went through my nightly routine of clearing my mind. Flashes of Lyle from that night and then tonight was all that my mind could think of. I started to tremor and Jarod's arms tightened around me.

"I've got you. He can't do anything to you anymore."

I looked up into his brown eyes and saw that he was sincere and meant it. I leaned up slightly and kissed his cheek. I buried myself deeper into his arms and soon my mind was quieting down enough for me to fall asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: Don't own anything you recognize except for my character...Enjoy!**

* * *

"What do you mean there are no employment records?" Miss Parker questioned.

"I went back as far as 5years ago but there are no records for Simpson, Jamieson, and Reid. The files were deleted from the mainframe, probably by Kate, before she left. We don't even know the areas of the Centre that her egos Simpson and Jamieson worked in. I can tell you what I know about Kate from working with her," Broots explained.

"Get on with it."

"Ah, she came to the Centre right out of M.I.T having graduated at 19. I remember because I commented that she looked young. She always wore the same kind of outfits, only changing it slightly each day. Um, Kate smoked like you and often joked that she wished she could smoke something else while at work. Then one day she came back from lunch spooked. She said she saw an ex-boyfriend and she was scared. Few days later when she didn't appear for work, they sent a Sweeper to check out her apartment. That's when the crime scene was discovered and we believed her dead."

"She missed one shift and a Sweeper was sent?"

"Kate was always punctual and she had a meeting that morning with Mr. Raines. He was angry that she never appeared and he sent the Sweeper to drag her to the Centre even if she was in bed sick."

"Perfect. What did she look like?"

"Tall since she always wore heels, like those shoes Catholic school girls wear but with heels. It was usually a white button up fitted to her body…"

Broots was gazing off in memory of what Kate wore each day. Sydney smiled at the man but Miss Parker was getting angry. She snapped her fingers to get his attention and glared at him.

"I don't have all day for you to fantasize about a girl who is toying with the Centre."

"Right. A white top and uniform skirts in a variety of colors. Sometimes she'd wear white knee high socks."

"Let me guess, she always wore pigtails in her hair."

"Not once. She always left it down since it was curly."

Miss Parker stalked her office in silence. Sydney and Broots knew they couldn't leave until she said something. She lit up a cigarette and paced her office more.

"She said she was 17 when she met Jarod's mother. I want you to look for any records of a 17year old girl studying for her multiple Master's degree. Assume her first name is Katherine or Kate since she keeps using it in one form or another. Anything you find gets reported to me immediately. When you find out who she is, locate her family."

"What are you planning, Miss Parker?" Sydney asked.

"She'll come back to the Centre with enough incentive and Jarod will bargain for her release. We'll have 2 Pretenders instead of one."


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: Don't own anything you recognize except for my character...Enjoy!**

* * *

I had woken up once during the night but it wasn't due to a nightmare. It had been years since I had shared a bed and what had me waking from dead sleep, was Jarod's body curled around mine. We had rolled onto our sides sometime and his body was neatly spooning me, one leg tucked in between mine. His right hand was draped over my waist and the arm that most men didn't know what to do with when spooning was tucked under my head. Since Jarod was taller than me, his head wasn't quite on mine but still pressed into my hair. My fingers entwined with his and I fell back asleep.

Jarod was still out when I awoke next. The digital clock on the bedside table read 9:16am and I couldn't believe how late we slept. I glanced down at our hands and smiled. They had moved north, just shy from being right over my chest. It was the same time that I realized the state Jarod was in. Not wanting to move but knowing we should get up, I lightly traced patterns on the back of Jarod's hand.

The change in his breathing signalled that he was waking. I stopped my tracing and waited for the startle that would occur once he was fully awake. A few seconds later, it happened.

"Morning, Jarod."

"Uh, morning, Katie."

I shifted slightly to give myself room to turn around and face him. His hair had taken on a messy look and there was a slight covering of beard on his face. I ran the back of my hand across his cheek and smiled at him.

"Thank you. Your presence made it so I felt safe and able to sleep."

"I understand. Most nights I'm woken up by bad thoughts. I can't remember the last night I slept through completely."

"After it happened, it took me nearly six months to sleep through the night without having to drug myself up. There's still something that I can't do because I don't seem to trust anyone enough."

"Maybe I can help," Jarod offered honestly.

I chuckled and pushed so Jarod was lying on his back. I curled up beside him like I did last night and laid my head on his chest.

"If you heard what it is, I doubt you'd still be offering. I know it's wrong to have this anxiety about it but some just never get over it. I've been on both sides, being part of the group and then leading it, so I know the reality of it all. To hear what others have gone through, even when violent, doesn't compare in what Lyle did. I bet if I described all that happened, the others would have been sick."

"Katie, have you actually seen a counsellor or a psychologist about the attack?"

"Like I've said, I've been on that end. I've worked myself past the attack, until last night seeing Lyle, but just the thought of someone else's hands on me…" I shuddered.

"But you're practically lying on me, my hands holding you."

"I know you would never hurt me, Jarod. Some would say you don't have a mean bone in your body but I know if it came to something that the Centre did, you have that mean bone. Albeit it's the size of the stirrup bone."

Jarod laughed and wrapped his arms around me tighter. The warmth coming off of him added to the sense of safety and protection. I didn't want to leave his arms or the bed but my body had other thoughts. I leaned up and kissed Jarod on the cheek again before scurrying out from under the covers. I smoothed down the tank top I had worn to bed as I made my way to the bathroom.

When I came out, he was sitting on the corner of the bed with the remote in his hand. His focus was on the TV as he flipped channels. I crawled across the bed, coming up behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and stuck my chin on his shoulder.

"What ya watching?"

"Nothing in particular. Until I left the Centre, I never had the chance to watch television. I've seen some interesting shows but I can't understand why people would watch this so called reality TV."

"They're just fascinated about what happens to others. To get a peak on how others live. Imagine those DSAs as the first ever reality TV show which no one has seen. Did you know that there is a show where people purposefully lock themselves in a house that has dozens of cameras hidden around it? Millions of people tune in to see what happens as the group learn to live together and compete for money."

"But what about their privacy?"

"Not much of it except in the showers. They even show when people get together but without all the good parts."

The Pretender shook his head and stood up. He flipped the TV off and gazed down at me.

"I don't think I'll ever understand what goes through people's heads even with what I can do."

"Money can make people do the craziest things. Why don't you get cleaned up and I'll pop out to pick up breakfast?" I offered, getting off the bed to grab my bag.

I turned around, digging through the bag for clean clothes. Once I had something, I pulled off my top and reached for my bra.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot something."

I tucked my arms in front of my chest and turned my head over my shoulder to look at Jarod. His gaze was turned away but he hadn't moved.

"It's no problem," I replied, smiling back at him.

He finally moved to grab what he needed and hurried back into the bathroom. It didn't take a genius to know that with Jarod being locked up for most of his life, he bloomed late in the sexual department. He had been out for nearly 2years and I wondered if he had taken the time to have a personal life while righting the wrongs.

As I dressed I heard Jarod turn on the shower and part of me tried to imagine what was behind the closed door. Shaking my head, I finished pulling on my jeans and grabbed my wallet. Since the street was lined with hotels, it wasn't that far to locate a Dunkin Donuts. True, we had the time for a proper breakfast but there was something about having donuts for breakfast. I selected a variety and grabbed coffee to wash it down with.

"Honey, I'm home," I called as I unlocked the door.

"Honey?"

Jarod was standing in the bathroom doorway drying his hair with a towel. He had on pressed black pants and another wife beater. A dark blue button up shirt was lying on the bed, waiting to be pulled on. Briefly glancing down, I saw his feet were still bare. I moved over to the little table in the room and lowered the bag of sugary confections.

"It's a quote from an interesting TV show I caught when I was a child, called _Dinosaurs_. I was only a few years old and my foster parents at the time hadn't realized how gifted I was and made us children watch it. It's quite a good show and ran for 4 seasons, the first three I watched in reruns.

"The same quote is also used in _Batman Returns_ by the character Selina Kyle. She eventually becomes Catwoman. The entire Batman franchise has been revamped so after watching the newest movies, I decided to watch the earlier ones from the 90s."

"How old are you, Katie?"

"I'll be turning 21. Next week actually," I said, figuring out today's date in my head.

"You started working for the Centre when you were 19? But when did you date Lyle?" Jarod asked, pulling on his shirt.

"Around the same time. My Simpson persona had been hired to work at one of the satellite offices. Several weeks later, I met Lyle and he pursued me. He believed me to be 22 and working for a gaming development firm. I stayed 9months at the satellite office and had been with Lyle for 7 of those."

I helped myself to a donut and with a wide smile, Jarod joined me for breakfast.

"I haven't checked the USB stick that you slipped me yet but would I be wrong if I assumed that it had to do with me and my family?" he asked, his mouth full of a jelly filled donut.

"No and if you don't mind me accompanying you, I can tell you more about your family."

We finished the donuts and coffee before checking out. Jarod was on his way to NuGenesis to check out the clue that Fenigor left him but needed to make one stop first. On the drive to Charlevoix, Michigan I recounted stories of his mother, Emily, and Major Charles. I described the sims we practised after I found out my true potential.

"It finally felt like I belonged. All my life I hadn't belonged anywhere, always the youngest in my class, always the smartest, always the foster child. But with Margaret, she seemed to know what I needed and made me part of her family. That's why when they were leaving, I made them promise to stay in contact. I should post that classified ad I was planning on. They might see it and phone."

"You mentioned a foster family back at the hotel. What happened to your birth parents?" Jarod asked.

"I've never known them except for a few newspaper articles. They were involved in a collision and died instantly. I was at home with a sitter and since there weren't any relatives to take me in, I became a child of the state. Even though babies or young toddlers are easier to adopt, I never was. I got shuffled around to 4 different foster homes before I emancipated myself. I had hoped that my last set of foster parents would have adopted me but they were in their 60s and the system would have probably denied them."

"How old were you when you were emancipated?"

"The family before my last wasn't perfect but they were never abusive. Just indifferent and fostered to collect money from the government. I was the eldest child so everything fell to me and I didn't mind. I helped the others with their homework and would have helped in the mechanic shop but I was just seen as a girl.

"Another foster kid was moved in and then things got a bit weird. Pets from the neighbourhood disappeared, houses were broken into, and several women complained that they thought someone was spying on them. It was a small town so the gossip was quick to spread. When I caught him spying on me in the bathroom, I started to think of ways to get out of there. Being emancipated was an option but then I was transferred. I spent just over a year with the Reids before I went to court for emancipation."

"Reids? You used the name of your foster family."

"All of the Centre personas were named after my foster families."

"You never did say how old you were when you became emancipated."

Taking a drink from my water bottle, I stared out at the passing scenery for a moment before answering Jarod.

"I was just about 13. Near the beginning, I truly thought the judge was going to deny my petition but as I started talking and presenting what I had to support it, I could see the change in him. Once I was finished, it took him a few minutes to look everything over before granting the petition. The first thing I did as an 'adult' was to enrol in university. I probably could have enrolled years before but I was being held back. Rather than getting bored in class, I would borrow books from the library and read anything and everything."

We stopped off at the next gas station to top up the tank and to rest. We had a quick bite at the store before heading on. I took over driving so Jarod could rest. I don't think he meant to but he nodded off, his head resting against the back of the seat. With an older car like this 67 Camaro, there were no headrests so Jarod had to stretch out in the seat. I looked over at him and took in his long body. I bit my lip and turned back to the road before I would do anything stupid.

About half an hour later, Jarod was moving in his sleep. He became restless and rather than letting him shake himself awake, I reached over and grabbed his hand.

"It's OK, Jarod. Everything is fine and we'll find out who you are," I soothed, rubbing the back of his hand with my thumb.

He calmed down but I continued to hold onto his hand. I hummed a few songs before Jarod started to wake up. When his brown eyes opened, I smiled at him.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"It's fine. We're nearing Charlevoix. Can you grab the address of the hotel? After checking in, we'll take a drive out to the address and grab dinner."

The address showed ruins of the house but had a For Sale sign with a realtor's number. Jarod called and arranged a meeting in the morning. We stopped in at Guiseppe's Italian Grille and had some terrific food. We planned how we were going to get into NuGenesis over dessert. Jarod would be going in as a specialist and I would try getting in as a patient. Since we weren't going to drive all the way to Atlanta, I would need to book us on a flight for the next day.

"Why don't we fly ourselves?" I asked as we headed back to the hotel after stopping in at a Walgreens.

"We can't always take a private plane. Now are you going to explain what you desperately needed to pick up?"

"You'll see."

Once back at the hotel, I locked myself in the bathroom while Jarod worked on our covers for NuGenesis. He would ask questions through the door and I answered them the best I could. He must have finished because he was quiet and I continued on with my transformation. Luckily the bleach didn't have to stay on long and the new color was finished after 20minutes.

"Katie, are you nearly finished in there?"

"One last touch and I'll be out," I called back to him.

I shook my hair out over the tub to get rid of the cut hair and to brush off what had stuck to my shoulders and neck. Deeming my hair was finished, I pulled my shirt back on which I had taken it off so the dye wouldn't stain it. I unlocked the door and stepped out.

"What do you think?"

He turned around and stared at me. When I had gone into the bathroom, I had black hair that hung down past my shoulders. Now I had a jagged bob in a medium honey color. After I worked on my makeup, I doubt I would be recognized by Miss Parker or Lyle. Jarod stepped closer and took in the new hair. He ran his fingers through the shorter hair.

"You do know it's uneven."

"Of course. It adds character to the bob. Do you like it?"

"It's different but still you in a way."

I hugged him and grabbed my pajamas. I shooed him into the bathroom to get changed while I used the bedroom. We traded places so I could brush my teeth before bed. Jarod was already lying in bed so I tucked myself in beside him.

"Good night, Jarod."

"Night."

It was another night of no nightmares for both of us. I awoke to my head lying on his chest and my leg thrown over his. I knew he was awake by the way he breathed so I lifted my head and smiled at him. There was something in his eyes that caught my breath. We leaned closer to each other and I kissed him. His arms tightened around me, sliding me so I was lying more on him than the bed. His lips felt perfect but feeling his tongue map out my mouth was heaven.

I broke our kiss so I could straddle his waist. I ran my hands over his chest and then under the wife beater. The chest hair was soft under my fingertips but I wanted to see more of him. I pulled him up so I could take off the top. His arms wrapped around me while his lips attacked my neck.

"Mmmm. Sweet Jesus," I moaned as he lightly bit down.

I ground myself into his lap before pushing him back against the pillows. I kissed him again, deep and full. I trailed kisses from his ear to his neck and then to his chest. My tongue swirled around his nipples before continuing on down his stomach. I circled his navel before dipping my tongue inside.

"Katie," he breathed.

I scooted down so I could pull off his pajama pants and toss them aside. I slithered up his body, my hands lightly caressing his thighs. I smiled up at him as his body responded to my touches.

"I hate to say this but we need to be quick if we're going to make that realtor appointment."

The realtor couldn't really tell us much about the people who had lived there. She explained that they were renters who abruptly left after their little boy was taken and the fire that burnt the house to ruins. Aside from Jarod finding a toy which I knew he remembered, the only interesting thing was that the property was now owned by a company in Blue Cove. So it wasn't enough that the Centre stolen Jarod away but had to buy the property where they had done so.

The woman left and I pulled him into my arms and held him while he composed himself. Taking his hand, I led him back to the car and he sat in the driver's seat. Before he could put the keys into the ignition, I reached over and undid his zipper.

"Katie, what are you doing?"

"Something that will give you good memories of this place, not just the fleeting memories of you with your parents before the Centre took you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: Don't own anything you recognize except for my character...Enjoy!**

* * *

We made it to the airport just in time to catch the flight. Jarod offered me the window seat and I smiled at him as I sat down. Since we were in First Class, there were only two seats per row so I had Jarod all to myself. Once we were in the air and the seatbelt sign was off, I raised the armrest between us and curled up beside him. I tucked a blanket around my left shoulder and draped it over my body. With my hand, I searched out for his.

"Katie, if you're cold maybe you should have worn something more than a summer dress."

I smiled up at him as I moved his hand to my thigh.

"Easier access if I'm wearing a skirt or dress."

"What? Here?"

"Maybe not that but there are other things we can do. Once we've figured this NuGenesis thing out, then maybe we can rent a plane and become members of the Mile High club."

Our flight wasn't boring but rather quite eventful. We hurried from the airport to our hotel room where I showed Jarod exactly what I wanted to do on that private flight. Aside from breaking for dinner, we stayed in bed the entire night. We did talk to each other, swapping stories. Jarod would tell me about some of the jobs he had and I would tell him more about his family.

"Did my mother ever tell you how the Centre was able to kidnap Kyle?" he asked, running his fingers through my hair.

"They went to some crazy lengths. Margaret wasn't sure exactly when they did it but the Centre had injected a small tracking device into her. They were keeping tabs on her for years after they had stolen you. They had moved and gone underground but they still sent Kyle to school. She thinks they used the school's immunization program to test his blood and found out that he was another Pretender. He was taken a few days later."

"When did she find out about the tracking device?"

"Soon after. One of their friends in the underground was a bit paranoid and had begun scanning everyone he met for bugs. His machine detected the device and Margaret demanded that it be removed. They checked Major Charles but he didn't have one."

"Before we go to NuGenesis in the morning, can you place that Classified ad? I'm hoping that they still check it."

"Of course, Jarod. I would do anything for you to have your parents back."

As I placed the classified ad, Jarod selected out the suit he would wear and was heading towards the bathroom to shower. I hurried up and got off the computer. I knocked on the bathroom door and asked Jarod if I could join him. He opened the door with a smile and I snuck around him. I pulled off my tank top and slipped my fingers into the waist band of my thong.

"Let me."

Jarod removed my thong and I worked on undressing him. We climbed into the shower and in between washing each other's bodies, he had me backed against the wall with his body pressing into mine. Since we didn't have the time, we didn't have sex but I did have him moaning from the mini massage I gave him as I washed his hair.

He looked amazing in the suit and he commented on my ideal wife outfit: a sundress and a cardigan over it. I wore flat sandals on my manicured feet and a medium sized diamond ring on my left hand.

"Who are you?"

"Stacy Davidson. My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for 4years and when I did manage to become pregnant, I would have a miscarriage before I hit my 12th week. Ethan was called away for an emergency business trip and I came alone rather than cancelling my appointment."

"I've sent along copies of your fabricated records so it'll be in their system. If I do get hired on, we'll need to find somewhere else to stay. We don't know how long this will take and I doubt you want to live in a hotel room."

"Trust me, a hotel is better than some of the places I've stayed. My appointment isn't until 11:30am so hurry along while I do my 'wife' makeup. You don't want to be late for your first day."

He gave me a quick kiss and hurried out of the hotel room. It didn't take me long to apply the makeup that would give me the look of someone years older. I spent the rest of the time slipping into the Centre's archives. I searched out any files dealing with Prodigy. There were a few memos with the word but no actual files. They must have only created paper copies which could be anywhere at the Centre. I sent off an email to Angelo, asking him about the files but also to wish him luck. Jarod had mentioned that Sydney was going to try a regimen of serotonin injections to help heal the neuropathways that Raines destroyed years ago.

The building that the taxi pulled up in front was large and seemed modern. It must have been renovated since I knew that the fertility clinic was there 30years ago. I smoothed down my sundress and headed into the building.

"Welcome to NuGenesis. Do you have an appointment?" the woman behind the desk asked.

"Yes. Stacy Davidson at 11:30. I believe I'm seeing Dr. Haring."

"Of course. He'll be with you momentarily. He's just finishing up with someone else."

I took a seat on the leather chairs behind her and glanced up at the painting over the mock fireplace. It was of two middle aged men, most likely Boris and Nicholas Haring who founded the clinic decades ago. I stood and walked closer to study the painting better. With most siblings, there are some similarities or even a strong resemblance but there was nothing between the two men.

"Mrs. Davidson, welcome to NuGenesis. I'm Dr. Haring," an older man said as he approached me.

"Thank you for seeing me. Not to be rude, Dr. Haring, but were you or your brother adopted? There isn't much by way of appearance that would relate the two of you."

He took a second to answer and looked at the painting when he did.

"We both were actually. That's why when we founded this clinic we also did adoptions but over the years as medical knowledge and technology advanced, we turned our focus strictly to fertility. Many women were accepting that we couldn't play God and make them pregnant. When the fertility treatments weren't successful, some chose adoption and we helped them with that.

"Now, enough of the history lesson. Let's go into my office and we can see if NuGenesis can help you make your baby dreams come true."

My appointment with Dr. Haring lasted for about half an hour, going through my medical file, blood work, and almost my entire sexual history. I lied and said that I had been raped as a teen but had been assured that the assault hadn't damaged anything vital. I pulled out a little wallet calendar and showed him my dates of ovulation and the corresponding sessions of love making.

"After the second year of not becoming pregnant, Ethan and I had both been tested and our doctor showed us the results. We're fine but it wouldn't come naturally. We tried a round of IVF and I did become pregnant but at my 8th week check-up, there was no heartbeat. Ethan wanted to wait longer but I did another round of IVF as soon as I could. Once we got the confirmation that I was pregnant again, I put myself onto bed rest. I had quit my job by then so I knew the miscarriage wasn't due to stress.

"I went passed the 8th week fine, not even with much morning sickness but at the 12th week, it was the same outcome. After that, Ethan and I agreed that we would try once more before going through with adoption."

"Did your mother have a hard time conceiving?"

"I never knew her. She died when I was a baby."

"Have you and your husband discussed surrogacy, egg or sperm donation?"

"We have and we decided that if I can't carry our own biological child, then we would focus on those who need a family. I was raised as a foster child so I know what living in the system is like and we have started the paper work to be accepted for adoption."

"Understandable. We'll do some blood work and then tomorrow we'll do a physical exam with our new Head of Inseminology, Dr. Spock. He may have an idea of what to try."

"Spock? Can he do the Vulcan salute too?" I joked.

"I believe more of a relation to Dr. Spock than to a fictional TV character. When was the last act of intercourse between you and your husband?"

"Yesterday but I'm not ovulating."

Wow, this man barely had a sense of humour. He had a nurse draw several vials of blood before dismissing me. I thanked him again for his time and left NuGenesis. I sent a text message to Jarod and headed out to walk around Atlanta. I did some sight seeing and shopping but after a few hours, I headed back to the hotel and relaxed. I even splurged and went to the spa.

"I'm staying late so I can try to get into the Records Lab. Jeremy caught me earlier. How did the appointment go?"

"Ever so fun. I get to meet the wonderful new Dr. Spock tomorrow."

"He wants to try insemination already?"

"No. Maybe to get your opinion on what's causing Stacy's infertility. I had blood work today and the physical exam tomorrow."

"Isn't that a bit personal?"

"Jarod, I'm pretending to be a desperate woman who wants to be pregnant. That can't happen without Dr. Haring examining me. It'll be similar to getting a Pap smear done."

"I wouldn't know what that feels like. All the doctors I've been were more surgical and haven't dealt with that. I've read about it and know how it's done."

"You'll get to see me in all my glory tomorrow in the exam room."

"I'd rather see you in our hotel room."

"Well, just don't stay too late and I'll be happy to show you anything you want."

Jarod promised that he would be back in a few hours and not to fall asleep before then. I spent my time flipping through the channels, reading through a textbook on electrical engineering that I had picked up from the university bookstore earlier, and surfing the Internet. My email dinged and I opened the message from Angelo. It was a JPEG file of an elementary school class. My friend had written 'Prodigy' in the corner.

"Goddamn the Centre," I seethed.

I saved the picture to a USB stick and headed out. Since we didn't have a printer, I found a store with a photography department. It had one of those self serve kiosks so I printed off several copies of the photo and headed back to the hotel. I had just thrown my purse onto the chair and pulled out the photos when Jarod came in.

"Angelo sent me a photo."

"He sent it to me too. I printed off a copy for you. I was thinking of hacking into the elementary school's mainframe. It won't take long to get a complete list of the students in this photo and their records. We can look for the students with higher than average grades."

"They might even list NuGenesis as an emergency contact. While I was waiting around, I came across something at the clinic."

"What is it?"

"I was there as a child. I remember a nurse taking a blood sample and then being asked to solve an equation with blocks."

"They probably used that blood sample to test for the anomaly."

"You never mentioned how my mother knew about the anomaly."

I combed my fingers through my hair and sat cross legged on the bed. Jarod sat down beside me and waited while I thought of how to put this information.

"As you know, Catherine Parker and Fenigor were trying to rescue the children. What you don't know was that Catherine and your mother were in on it together. Catherine was to get everyone out and Margaret would take them underground and help Catherine escape the Centre's clutches with her daughter."

"They knew each other?"

"Yes and had met several times to discuss the rescue. When she hadn't heard from Catherine and then learned of her death, she believed the Centre knew about their plan and disappeared. Fenigor had met with both women just once and it was then that he explained about the anomaly. He didn't understand it scientifically, just that it was something in the blood that made you a Pretender."

"But my mother did and told you about it."

"Margaret is very smart but the science behind genetic makeup was beyond her. She explained that Fenigor said it only happens in people with AB- blood and then I deduced it was a genetic anomaly."

Jarod was quiet for minutes as he thought everything through. His gaze landed on the school photo.

"We need to keep the Centre from taking another child. I called Sydney and he didn't know about it. He said that Angelo might know something."

"The treatments are working then. He's becoming whole again."

"It's late, Katie. We can't do anything more tonight."

Jarod kissed me and headed into the bathroom.

"It's not too late to do some hacking," I grinned.

It took me less than 5minutes to hack into the school mainframe. I had every name of the students in the photo and was copying their records to my hard drive when Jarod exited the bathroom. He had changed for bed and looked as if he was pouting.

"Not that I expected it but I thought you would already be in bed waiting for me."

"I just need to brush my teeth and then I'm all yours."

When I came out of the bathroom, it was Jarod who was at the computer. He was flipping through the different records, looking for connections to NuGenesis. I draped my arms over his shoulders and flicked the laptop closed with one hand.

"Now who is all work focused? And here I am naked getting chilly because someone isn't in bed waiting for me to climb in beside him."

Jarod turned around and kissed me. Our lips broke apart only briefly as he stood, stepping away from the chair. His large hands grabbed onto my waist and lifted me up against his body. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pushed my chest into his. My head tilted to the side as he attacked my neck. Being the gentleman that he was, Jarod was careful lowering us to the bed. Although a small part of me wanted him to let his animalistic side out and throw me onto the bed.

My appointment with Dr. Haring was postponed until the following day so I had the time to go through the students' records. They did list NuGenesis as emergency contacts for three of the students: Ari Thompson, Davy Simpkins, and Albert Williams. Out of the three, Ari and Davy had the higher grade scores. Albert seemed to be a smart kid but wasn't as smart as Ari and Davy.

Knowing I would need to see them, I created a background for an alias, Natasha Pine. She was in her last year of a Bachelor of Education degree and needed to spend some time in a classroom. After a brief call to the principal of Avalon Elementary, Natasha was approved for a 2day in-class observation in Ms. Markam's Grade 3 classroom. I would be heading over there after my appointment at NuGenesis the next day.

Jarod called during the day and mentioned the help he received from Ed, a custodian at the clinic. This man remembered Margaret and the time she spent at the clinic. He also showed Jarod the stored files of Dr. Boris Haring. It was in a locked safe that Jarod found the red files and an old recording of Jarod solving the equation.

"Katie, there's something else."

"What is it, Jarod?"

"There weren't 7 red files, but 8 of them."


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: Don't own anything you recognize except for my character...Enjoy!**

* * *

Miss Parker sat behind her father's desk waiting for him. She had just found out some startling information and wanted him to confirm it. Deep down she knew that what the DSA showed was right but couldn't understand why it was kept from her. Mr. Parker entered his office, talking into a recorder but stopped when he saw her.

"That thing have a stop button?" Miss Parker asked.

"Ah, oh. Indulge me my parental pride but you do look exquisite sitting there. Someday you will be, permanently. Parents always want what's best for their children. Of course, you'll know that feeling…"

"How dare you?!"

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell me I had a twin?"

He stuttered about not wanting to break her heart and that it was tough on him and her mother knowing that their son hadn't survived. He told her that the baby had been buried and offered to take her there but she shook her head. She would find it on her own.

Miss Parker left her father's office and headed down to Sydney's office/workroom. Since he had started Angelo on the neuropathway treatments, he had a piano moved into the workroom hoping that the man could play.

"Where's Angelo?" she asked, spotting Broots and Sydney standing by the black piano.

"Gone. He escaped the Centre. 'In finding Timmy, you set Angelo free. Thank you Sydney.' "

"I hope you're proud of yourself, Syd. Great! While Algernon is out there picking flowers and you two ponder your navels, I'm left with bubkis. And you just wait till Raines finds out."

"Does Angelo know how to take the serum?" Broots asked, shuffling his feet nervously.

"I hope so, he has three treatments left. He misses one and he'll regress to old Angelo. Permanently," the psychiatrist replied.

"And what he knows will be lost forever."

* * *

After Jarod left NuGenesis, he came by the hotel and picked me up. On the drive he mentioned how Ed remembered where Margaret and Major Charles stayed when they were visiting the clinic. It was dark outside but he pulled up just down the road from the main building. I grabbed his hand as we walked towards the building.

"You take one more step, I'm gonna blow your head off."

"Do you threaten all your guests like that?" I chuckled as I slowly turned around to face the guy.

"Guests? Pardon me. There's been a rash of burglaries in the area."

"Yes, because thieves often pretend to be a couple, holding hands, walking up the main path towards a rooming lodge."

"Sorry about her. She can be a bit sarcastic when hungry."

The man lowered his shotgun and led us inside. I looked around while Jarod talked to Louis and showed him the picture of Margaret. He offered to show us the cabin that Jarod's parents stayed in whenever they stayed. I wanted to listen in on what Louis was telling him but felt that I was intruding on something private.

"Louis, I would like to stay here for awhile if you don't mind."

"Make yourselves at home. Hell, you're practically family, Jarod."

Louis handed over the keys before leaving. I reached into Jarod's jacket pocket and grabbed the car keys. I told him to look around the cabin while I moved the car. Even though we didn't know we would be staying in the same cabin as his parents, we had checked out of the hotel.

"When I get back, it's straight to bed. I want to hold you in my arms."

After getting ready for bed, I had Jarod pressed into my side, my arms around him as he rested his head on my collarbone.

"We won't leave here until we find something more about your parents. I promise you that."

I had my appointment with Dr. Haring and Jarod. Seeing him dressed up as a doctor in that white lab coat put a smile on my face but I passed it off as I was introduced to him. I apologized for my husband still being away on business but he should be back in a few days. The examination was routine and Jarod had gone into the Spock character so he hadn't let anything slip. When we were sitting in Dr. Haring's office discussing options, a woman in her late thirties or early forties knocked on the door.

"Sorry to barge in on your appointment but Jeremy couldn't reach you. Most of Mrs. Davidson's lab results came back."

I could feel her eyes on me, almost as if she was checking me out. Aside from some blood, the clinic hasn't taken anything else from me but, if NuGenesis is behind finding the Centre kids with the anomaly then they might have checked my blood for it. This woman was sizing me up for the Centre. I shuddered and Jarod noticed.

"Are you alright, Mrs. Davidson?"

"Of course. I just got a sudden chill."

"Thank you, Dr. Dewitt," Dr. Haring said as the woman left the office.

The older man read through my lab results before passing it over to Jarod. He too read the file but I couldn't read the look on his face. I sat there playing with my wedding ring waiting for someone to speak.

"We run a variety of tests here at NuGenesis that some doctors and clinics wouldn't think of running. One test, the rosette inhibition test, checks for early pregnancy factor. In some it can be detected as early as 48hours after fertilization of an egg. We will need to run further tests later on to double check but you have EPF in your blood."

I was floored. I looked to Jarod and saw the brief nod of his head and turned back to Dr. Haring. My hand went to my flat stomach and a smile appeared on my face.

"So I'm pregnant. I'm thrilled but how can this one be different than the other pregnancies that I've had? How can we keep it from aborting?"

"For now until we complete a hCG pregnancy test to confirm it, we won't worry about it. Go home, call your husband, and relax. Try not to stress over this. We will find a way for your pregnancy to continue."

I shook each of their hands before leaving the office. I kept my eye out for Dr. Dewitt and headed to the mall. There wasn't enough time to head back to the cabin to change so I found an outfit appropriate for a student teacher and purchased a few notebooks so it would look like I was taking notes. Changing quickly and removing my makeup, I now looked like how Natasha would.

Knowing Jarod would want to talk but couldn't while at work, I turned off the ringer on my cell phone and headed into the school. I checked in with the office and the principal escorted me to Ms. Markam's class. The students got quiet as we entered and listened as I was introduced.

"Ms. Pine is here to observe our class today and tomorrow. She is studying to become a teacher."

"Why?" asked one girl.

Ms. Markam looked at me for the answer.

"Because I've studied other areas and decided moulding your minds was time better spent than designing rockets or researching different diseases. When I was your age, I was years ahead of the other kids in my class but there wasn't a special school for me to go to. I became a teacher to make your futures so much better and to impart my knowledge with kids like myself."

"You could have designed rockets? That's so cool."

"Why come here to our class and not to a special school?"

"Not all intelligent students are able to attend those schools. Being able to do a mixture of regular schoolwork and more complicated schoolwork is the most rewarding."

"How complicated?" a small blond hair boy asked.

"I was doing high school algebra and studying the workings of an internal combustion engine at your age."

Ms. Markam turned the students back to what they were doing before I arrived and then pointed out Davy, the blond boy who asked the last question. She said that I might be a help to him since he was beyond the regular curriculum. Since he was in foster care, any chance of moving up to a different grade had to be done through court and would take time. She tried giving him harder work but he seemed to get through it too quickly.

"Why don't you spend the rest of today with him?"

I smiled and headed over to where Davy sat. I invited him over to a table at the back of the room and looked at the boy. Here was the kid that the Centre was most likely going to kidnap but with his flopping blond hair and the overall air of innocence around him, I was going to do everything I could to keep him out of their claws.

"Ms. Markam tells me that you are special like me."

"Maybe."

"What is 149 x 122?" I asked writing down the math equation in front of him.

"18,178," he answered after a brief moment.

"Excellent. You are definitely special, Davy."

"Thank you, Ms. Pine."

"Call me Natasha, Davy."

I spent the rest of the day with Davy and Ari joined us for a bit of the time but eventually went back to Ms. Markum's teaching. I did some food shopping before heading back to the cabin. I knew we would have a lot to talk about once Jarod got home. I had changed into sweats and a T-shirt before I started on the pasta.

"Katie, what are you doing?"

"Rocking out to the music in my head. I didn't feel like setting up my laptop so I'm just bopping my head to whatever tune is playing."

"I'm not going to point out how crazy that sounds," he said, shaking his head as he sat at the little table.

"It's almost ready. I'll dish it up and bring it out into the other room."

"We have to talk about what happened at the clinic."

"And we will but let us eat first, get something into our system before tackling the big issue."

Jarod left the small kitchen and I finished up with the pasta and garlic bread. I plated it and carried it into the other room. He was seated on the couch, his laptop open but not on. I handed over dinner and sat facing him, leaning against the armrest. I waited while he took the first bite and smiled at his reaction.

"This is great."

"I'm glad you enjoy it."

He was already finished and I had barely half the plate done when there was a knock on the door.

"Louis?" Jarod called out, glancing over at me.

I could kinda see from my spot on the couch and the man at the door wasn't Louis. I dropped my plate on the table and ran to the door. I flung it open and beamed at the man.

"Angelo!"

I gave him a hard hug and pulled him into the cabin.

"I got here as fast as I could," he said.

"It's so good to see you, the real you."

"I take it the treatments are working. Should we still be calling you Angelo?"

"Timmy. I'm Timmy now."

Jarod let Timmy over to the couch and I went to grab him a plate of food. To see the gratitude and honesty on his face was spectacular. Angelo had a look of being lost and aside from the few times we really sat down and talked, he didn't say much but now as Timmy, I could tell it was going to be different.

"Did you find out who the Centre is going to take?" Timmy asked once he was finished.

"Katie was doing that. She went in as a student teacher."

"His name is Davy Simpkins. He's an adorable 7year old boy with such intelligence. While he has the smarts, I'm not sure if he could pull off being a Pretender."

"Raines might try to enhance the gift."

"He would be willing to do that again after what happened last time? Of course, it's Raines. He'd be willing to kill his own mother if it meant something profitable for the Centre."

"Dr. Dewitt asked me about you today after you left," Jarod mentioned, not looking at me directly but at the wall near my head.

"I expected her too. She must have taken a look at my blood work. She's the inside source for the Centre and will probably pass on my file to them."

"Then you can't go back to NuGenesis."

"And why not? It's not like she's going to jump out at me, stun me, and kidnap me. She can't risk it, especially during the day."

"But do you want to take the chance she hasn't already notified the Centre and they're sending someone for you?"

"I'm more worried for Davy. I'm thinking after school tomorrow I will accompany him back to his foster parents and talk to them. Mention a private school that would be willing to take him in."

"They're not going to let you just take him."

"That's where Timmy comes in," I smiled.

The man looked shocked that I suggested him to accompany me. I told them what I had planned and Jarod thought it could work. Timmy got up from the couch and headed over to the piano and began hitting the keys. He seemed rusty at first but then it settled and a lovely melody of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star filled the cabin.

Timmy played through the song before the clock chimed.

"Time for my next treatment," he announced.

I left the two men to clean up in the kitchen. The dishes were clean but I stayed standing at the sink. My hands dropped to my stomach briefly before I shook my head.

"It could be a false positive. True, it's a lab test but there's always technician error. I'll check later after this is all finished and worry about it then."

"Katie," Timmy whispered from the doorway but hurried over. "You're crying. Why are you crying?"

I hadn't realized that tears had fallen. He took me into his arms and held me. Before I killed off my last persona, I had hugged him once and that familiar smell enveloped me. I took a few moments to ground myself before stepping out of his arms.

"They're happy tears, Timmy. You're here away from the Centre and Jarod is trying to keep them from taking another boy. Now all we need is for my phone to ring and it be Jarod's parents."

We both went silent, waiting for it to ring but when it didn't I chuckled. I took Timmy's hand and led him into the other room.

"The couch pulls out if you're tired. I'll grab you some sheets before I head to bed. I need to be up early to head back to the school."

Once he had the extra set of sheets I found in the closet, I kissed both of them on the cheek. I got ready for bed and climbed in. Pulling out a book, I read for a bit before Jarod came in.

"We didn't get to talk."

"We can do it now. We weren't safe and I might be pregnant. I might not be either. It can take up to 9days for the ovum to implant. We'll wait 2weeks just to be sure and then I'll get tested. Only when we know for sure will we stress about it."

"No one can know. If anyone at the Centre finds out, you'll become their priority. A child from two Pretenders is likely to become one."

"Like I said, only when we know for sure and even then, I'm not going to walk up to the Centre and tell them the good news."

Jarod kissed me and headed into the bathroom to get ready. I rolled over and fell asleep before he joined me in bed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Note: Don't own anything you recognize except for my character...Enjoy!**

* * *

"Did you find Angelo?" Miss Parker asked her techno-genius.

"No but I did find something else. Maybe I should let Syd show it to you. I'll go, grab a coffee or something."

"Broots," she warned.

"I was hitting a dead end so I helped myself to Raines' personal files again."

"Twice in three days," Miss Parker replied proudly.

"He found something you should see. You should sit," Sydney suggested.

"I'll stand. Play it."

The woman watched more of the surveillance footage following her birth. Her fingers pressed to her lips when she saw what they had wanted to show her. The baby boy that Raines had delivered after her hadn't been dead after all. She listened as the doctor called and mentioned NuGenesis.

"He was alive. I have a brother out there."

Miss Parker turned on her heel and hurried out of the room. Broots exchanged looks with Sydney but the older man shook his head. Broots had wanted to go after her, to help in whatever way possible but this was something she needed to do on her own.

* * *

Davy and I spent the day on my laptop. I had taken the boy outside and showed him several files on my computer. One of them was a recorded simulation I did with Margaret and Major Charles. He watched it and then asked why.

"Why I pretended to be someone else?"

"That and why even do it?"

"Have you ever played with your friends, been someone else? Maybe Cops and Robbers?"

"Sometimes but I like being me. Recess is the only time I can just let go, be a kid."

"And that's a good thing, Davy. Never change who you are deep down but when I became that other person, it let me see it through another set of eyes. I wasn't seeing it through Natasha Pine's eyes but through the eyes of a scared child. I was able to feel what she was feeling and it felt like I was her."

"Why did you want to become her?"

"So I could help her. She had been taken from her family by some bad men. Since I understood what she went through, I was able to help her through it all. She hadn't let anyone near her after they found her but as I talked, the armour she put up around herself slowly fell away."

"What happened?"

"She threw herself into my arms and wouldn't let go. I held her for nearly 24hours before she was able to talk about it. With my help, she knew she couldn't let it happen to someone else so she identified the men and they went to jail."

Davy sat there thinking about it until the lunch bell rang. I sat with the students in the lunch room and told them some cool facts. They would throw out a topic and I'd tell them all about it. They didn't want it to end so Ms. Markus gave us a bit more time in class to do it. If it had been an older class, I would have prepared for some demonstrations.

Timmy showed up at the end of the school day and talked with Ms. Markus a bit while I helped Davy pack up his school bag. She introduced us to Mr. Willard from Child Services who would be taking Davy home so he could speak to his foster parents.

"Can Natasha come with me? She's my friend," Davy asked.

"I don't think Ms. Pine will feel comfortable," his teacher tried.

"Actually the school that Mr. Willard wanted to talk to the Watanabes about was my idea. After yesterday, I knew that Davy needed something more challenging so I contacted Child Services and the school about him."

Ms. Markus gave us her goodbyes and we headed out to the car Timmy had rented. He had slipped me the keys so after making sure Davy was buckled up, I slid into the front seat and started the car. The boy gave me his address and asked Timmy questions during the drive there.

Mr. and Mrs. Watanabe were surprised at our visit.

"There is a man here from Child Placement. He was telling us that they found a permanent home for Davy."

I shared a look with Timmy and he stepped back. If someone was here from the Centre, they would recognize him on site and try to take them both in.

"Davy, why don't you go up to your room and pack a bag?"

Once he was out of earshot, I told the Watanabes the man was an imposter. I asked if he had shown them proper identification and they assured me he had. I caught a glimpse of the man, someone a bit older than me but had white hair. He was obviously a Sweeper.

"He isn't with Child Placement. Please call Child Services at this number and they will prove that."

I handed them a piece of paper with Jarod's phone number on it. He knew we might need some way to support our claim so I listened as Mrs. Watanabe spoke with Jarod. Davy came back with a bag and I sent him outside with Mr. Watanabe to Timmy. I stayed to talk with his foster mom and the guy from the Centre.

"Mr. Willard's colleague from Child Services backed up what you said. But if he isn't from Child Placement, then who is he?" she asked, thumbing back at the man.

"When I contacted Child Services about this school for Davy, they mentioned that there was a gentleman who was interested in Davy. I never asked what they meant but if Mr. Willard's tone was anything to go by, it's not good. I'm going to go in there and lie to him and hopefully he will leave. If he doesn't leave in two minutes, call the police and tell them he's here to kidnap Davy."

Mrs. Watanabe nodded and headed outside. I squared my shoulders and headed into the living room. It took a second for the man to notice my presence and gave me a professional smile. He was standing in such a way that I knew he had training even if I hadn't known who he was.

"I am Natasha Pine."

"Mr. Gar from Child Placement. I'm here to take Davy to his new home."

"Interesting because I'm from Child Services. Carol Watanabe called me when you showed up. We have no record of permanent placement for Davy in his file. I have instructed Carol to notify the police of your attempted abduction and they should be here momentarily."

Gar stalked over to me, trying to intimidate me but I straightened my back and stared into his eyes.

"Give me the boy and I won't kill you," he threatened.

I stepped closer and said, "Didn't the Centre teach you to shoot first and threaten later?"

I pivoted on my toes, slammed my elbow into his solar plexus, and grabbed his gun from the holster under his left arm. As he gasped for air, Gar still tried to attack me. I swept his legs out from under him and watched as he crumpled to the ground. I brought the gun down onto his temple and smirked as he blacked out.

After removing the magazine and the bullet in the chamber, I hid the weapon in my purse. I could hear sirens in the distance and while I wanted to bolt, I needed to make sure the police arrested Gar. Sure, the Centre would have him out and then he'd spill the beans about me but they would only have a fake name. I picked up a figurine from the coffee table and tapped Gar on the head again so they believed I used that to knock him out. As the police entered the house, I held my hands up and stepped back.

"Miss, are you alright?"

"He attacked me. When I told him he couldn't have Davy, he came at me. I just picked up the figurine and hit him."

One of the officers took my statement while an ambulance was called in for Gar. They had him handcuffed to the gurney and under police escort out to the rig. When I was allowed to leave, I expected one of the officers to offer me a ride home but they mentioned someone was here for me.

Timmy and Davy were already gone but Jarod was there talking to the Watanabes.

"Mr. Willard's supervisor has offered to take you to Davy before taking you home."

"Just like Jarod to do that. He'll know that I need to make sure Davy is safe. Thank you, Officer."

Jarod made it a block before he spoke. He wasn't completely angry but upset and worried. He understood why I put myself between Gar and Davy but berated me for provoking the Sweeper. I stayed silent until he was finished venting his frustration.

"Thank you."

"Thank you? For what, Katie? I basically told you that what you did was dangerous and stupid."

"That's why. You care for my wellbeing. I bet after Carol called you to verify why we were there, you got into the car and drove there. You were worried about what might happen. Deep down, you freaked out when they told you I took him out. Am I right?"

"Yes. I know what Sweepers are capable of and you were lucky to stand up to Gar without getting hurt. He wouldn't have thought twice about killing you to get at Davy."

"I would have done anything to keep Davy away from the Centre."

"Even if it was your own life?" he asked as the car came to a red light.

"Even if they took me instead."

"I would never let that happen," he promised before kissing me.

Timmy and Davy were at the cabin when we got there. Timmy was sitting at the piano playing for the boy who seemed to enjoy the music. Jarod introduced himself to Davy while I headed into the kitchen to make some sandwiches.

"Natasha, what is going on?"

I sat the plate of sandwiches on the coffee table and took a seat next to Davy.

"Do you remember that video I showed you? About how I became that girl and helped her?"

"Yes."

"There is a company who takes money to plan ways to do bad things and to hurt people. They use people like me to plan those bad things. They wanted you because you're like me."

"But I wouldn't do it."

"They pretend to be the good guys so you think you're helping but you're not," Jarod said.

He pulled out the DSA player and showed Davy an old simulation he did. Afterwards, he explained how the Centre took what he said and twisted it. It was from what he thought up that people were hurt or killed.

"But you didn't know. Were they really going to do that to me?"

"Yes but that's why we stopped them. That man at your house was going to take you to the company."

"Thank you for saving me."

Davy gave each of us a hug and when I heard a creaking floorboard, I pulled him behind me.

"Yes, Jarod. Thank you for saving him," Miss Parker drawled from her spot in the doorway with her gun pointing at us.

"Miss Parker."

"When I drove here, I never thought I would be finding Angelo too, let alone that bitch."

I stepped forward and she steadied her gun at me.

"There is a child in the room so I'd prefer if you kept that language to yourself."

"Going Mama Bear on us?"

"Yes. Davy deserves a mother who loves him and until we find him one, I'm more than happy to be her."

"How touching," she replied, with a touch of sarcasm lacing the words.

"Who's she?" Davy whispered, tugging on my hand.

Ignoring Miss Parker, I turned and crouched down to Davy's level.

"She works for that company we told you about. She's here because Jarod left and won't go back. It's her job to find him and take him in."

"You take people's money to hurt others. Why do you do it? Is it because your mom didn't love you enough? I've heard people say that people do bad things because they weren't loved as a child."

The gun in Miss Parker's hand wavered very briefly but she didn't lower it.

"No, Davy. Her mother loved her very much and tried to get Jarod and her out as children. Speaking of which, Miss Parker, we found something of yours at NuGenesis."

"What?"

"Your own red file. There weren't 7 red files, but 8. Timmy, can you grab those three off the ledge of the fireplace?"

Carefully, he picked up the files and handed them to Jarod. I nodded and sat Davy on the couch. Jarod should be the one to break the news to her since he has known her longest. Besides I don't think I could say it without throwing up.

"The Centre had your brother adopted through NuGenesis and when the time was right reclaimed him. You have met and worked side by side with your brother before."

"Enough of these games, Jarod. Who is my brother? Please tell me it's not you."

"No but it's between Timmy and a boy you knew as Bobby."

The arm with the gun in its hand lowered and she staggered back.

"Lyle? It's him or Lyle?"

"I'd wish Timmy any day over Lyle," I said shuddering.

"And what do you know about Lyle? There wouldn't have been time for you to have met him before you 'died'."

"I know what's he's capable of, more than you know. He's the reason I couldn't stick around longer."

Miss Parker stepped closer to Jarod and raised her gun again. I tucked Davy into my side and covered his face.

"Which of these idiots is my brother?" she hissed.

"Like Katie said, I would wish it was Angelo, ah Timmy, but that's not going to change it. Unfortunately Lyle is your brother," Jarod told her, handing her the two red files on top.

She snatched the files from his hands and looked through them as she paced the small room. Timmy had joined Davy and I on the couch with Jarod taking a standing position behind the couch, resting his hands on my shoulders. The room was silent except for the occasional creaking of the floorboards.

Davy and Timmy were enjoying a sandwich while Jarod and I watched Miss Parker as she paced. Once she was done reading through the files, she threw them against the wall and screamed. After it ended, my cell phone rang. She spun around and glared at it. She motioned with the gun for me to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Katie?"

It was Margaret. I couldn't let Miss Parker know it was her.

"Ah, Dr. Haring. Has NuGenesis gotten my lab work back yet?"

"Someone is there. Keep going."

"Oh. I guess Ethan and I will have to try again," I said, trying to look crestfallen. "I think we're going to take a small vacation first to try and relax. Did you know we went to this island on our honeymoon and it was perfect except for getting caught outside during a massive rainstorm?"

"I got it, Katie. When?"

"A few days at most, Dr. Haring. Then we'll visit when I'm at peak time for inception. Thank you for your help, Dr. Haring."

"Be safe, Katie."

I hung up the phone. I shrugged at Miss Parker and reached for a sandwich.

"I went undercover to get into NuGenesis and that made me submit to plenty of tests. He was calling about them. So what are you going to do, Miss Parker? True, you have a gun pointed at us but even if you manage to get a shot off, one of us would take you down."

"Not when I have a team of Sweepers coming."

"But you're bluffing, Miss Parker. I could imagine a team of Sweepers are on their way to the clinic but not here. Plus they would be working for Raines and not you."

"Why do you think that?"

"He sent Gar to pick Davy up. Instead of retrieving the boy, I had him knocked out and arrested so once the Centre has him cleared, they would be going to NuGenesis to look for clues on Jarod or I. There they might find something or not. They might even start the trace on your cell phone to find out where you are. How did you find us, Miss Parker?"

"A phone number to this lodge on Boy Wonder's desk."

The clock chimed and I shared a look with Timmy. It was time for his next dose of the treatment. The paper bag with the individual doses sat on the table so I reached out for them since I was closest. Miss Parker cocked her gun and pointed it at me again.

"It's only Timmy's treatments. I think it's time that the Centre lets Timmy be the person he was meant to be."

She let me hand over the bag to Timmy and I distracted Davy while the injection was done. There was only one more treatment and Timmy would be cured. A knock on the cabin door resonated through the room.

"Hey, Jarod. It's Louis. I found something I thought you might want."

Miss Parker motioned for Jarod to get the door. It was a brief conversation and when Jarod turned back around, he had a photo in his hand. Miss Parker snatched it from his hand but Jarod also used the chance to get her gun. It went off but it had been pointing at the floor when it did. He was able to get it from her.

"Timmy, find some rope. Katie, pack our stuff."

We did what he said and by the time I came out of the bedroom, Louis had joined us. He had heard the shot and came running back. Miss Parker was tied to a chair from the kitchen and glaring at Jarod. Timmy took Davy outside to the car after I promised him that I would be coming too.

"You're going to leave me tied up here until Raines' men find the cabin."

"Nah. We'll call in a tip. Might even call and say hi to Broots. He could always make me smile when I worked with him," I said. "Toodles, Miss Parker."

I left the cabin so Jarod could say his farewells to the woman. We would be taking Davy to his new family before heading off to meet up with Jarod's family. He came out of the cabin a few minutes later and said goodbye to Louis. As we left the cabin, Jarod called a family he knew who would take wonderful care of Davy.

Before stopping by their house, Jarod stopped in at a bank and withdrew a bunch of money. When we arrived at the Brewsters, Jarod talked with the husband and wife while I said goodbye to Davy.

"Why can't I stay with you?" he asked.

"Because you need a real family, Davy. A father and a mother. I might not even stay with Jarod after this so it won't be fair for you. The Brewsters are great. They've tried for years to have a child and now they get the best one."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Maybe. Jarod is telling your new parents a way to contact us if they should ever need to. Listen to them. Stay safe and don't forget to be a boy every now and then."

"I won't. I'm going to miss you."

I hugged the boy and he went rushing off to the Brewsters. I waved as Jarod headed back to the car. He pulled away from the curb and started to take us towards the city limits. I had figured we could drive the entire way to Manhattan rather than flying to meet up with his parents. But first I would have to tell him that.

"So who wants to go an island?"

"Why an island, Katie?" Timmy questioned.

"Because that's where I told them we'd be in a few days."

"That wasn't Dr. Haring on the phone was it?"

"Nope. They spotted the ad, Jarod. You're finally going to meet your parents."

He pulled over as quickly as he could and stared at me.

"My parents?" he whispered.

"Yes. Your parents and maybe even Emily. You'll get to be a family again."

"We'll get to be a family, Katie," he replied, pulling me in for a kiss.

After numerous years of searching, Jarod was finally going to meet his family. I will be beside him the entire time and hope Margaret and Major Charles accept our relationship, especially since I'm carrying their first grandchild. With two Pretenders as its parents, this child is going to be very special. Very special indeed.


End file.
